Starting center Jeff Faine likely done for season

For the second time in two games, the Bucs appear to have suffered a season-ending injury on the offensive line.

Starting center Jeff Faine, who left Sunday's game against the Falcons in the fourth quarter, is expected to miss the rest of the season with a triceps injury. Faine suffered a triceps injury in 2009 that sidelined him for a month, but it's not clear whether this latest injury is to the same muscle. Faine was undergoing evaluation this morning to determine the extent of this injury.

Faine's loss comes on the heels of the Bucs losing Davin Joseph to a broken foot last week at Baltimore. Joseph's injury caused Jeremy Zuttah to be moved to right guard, but the loss of Faine likely means a move to center for Zuttah, who filled in there for several weeks earlier this season while Faine was out with a quad injury. That left rookie Derek Hardman to take over the right guard spot late in Sunday's game.

The Bucs could consider other options at guard moving forward, including tackle James Lee, who had taken over as the starting right guard. Either way, this injury is going to make for additional challenges for a line that has been besieged by injuries this season.

About the blog

Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans: Keep up with your team news on Bucs Beat, our blog for all things Bucs. Tampa Bay Times sports writers keep you posted on the latest Bucs news, and you can weigh in with your own thoughts.